


The Robot and the Doc

by EvergreenLaurel



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Future AU, Happy is a Robot, Relationship Development, Romance, robots AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 02:17:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12949164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvergreenLaurel/pseuds/EvergreenLaurel
Summary: "I don't have feelings. I'm a robot.""The more I get to know you, Happy, the less I believe that."A retelling of some favorite Quintis relationship development moments with a different paradigm.





	The Robot and the Doc

**Author's Note:**

  * For [southernbookgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/southernbookgirl/gifts).



“Did you really have to punch him?”

Happy groaned and leaned on Toby’s shoulder as she limped into the garage, “I didn’t know he had a gun implanted into his arm.”

Toby helped Happy onto the cold metal repair table then paused to give her a look. “You’re telling me that you, the world’s most advanced android, running an AI that the world’s most brilliant scientists,” at this his gestured at himself, “still can’t fully understand, didn’t consider that the implants salesman at the robotics conference might be packing a dangerous implant?”

Happy scoffed and looked away from Toby’s gaze. “Maybe I didn’t care,” she muttered.

Toby paused for a moment then his tone shifted to something much gentler, “It’s because of what he said about Harry isn’t it? Do you want to talk about it?”

“What do I care what anyone says about that jerk?”

Toby tentatively placed a hand on Happy’s forearm, “Because he made you? Because he was essentially your father? Because he committed suicide? I could go on. It might help to talk about it, Happy.”

“What would help,” Happy snapped, her eyes flashing. “Would be if you got this stupid bullet out of my leg so I can walk straight again. Isn’t that your job, fixing me?”

Toby sighed and went across the room to fetch the proper tools, “Technically, I’m here to study your AI and make sure you don’t kill anyone. Bullet removal isn’t exactly in my job description.” He stepped back over to Happy and put his tools on the table beside her. “But talking out your feelings is.”

Happy huffed, “I don’t have feelings. I’m a robot.”

“Mmm… the more I get to know you, Happy, the less I believe that,” Toby ducked a little to look Happy in the eyes, “You’re more than a robot. I can’t say exactly what you are, but you have more life in you than any android I’ve ever seen. And, you know, if you want to really properly live, accepting and sharing your feelings is a good first step.” At Happy’s lack of reply, Toby sighed, grabbed his tools, and started the delicate work.

After about fifteen minutes of comfortable silence broken only by Happy’s occasional threat concerning which parts of Toby’s body would end up in the incinerator if he nicked the wrong fiber, Happy broke the quiet. “Doc?”

Toby looked up briefly from where he was repairing the severed dorsal cord, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you have any cybernetic implants? Even Paige has a few, but you don’t even have a port for diagnostics.”

“Even the most advanced port for diagnostics wouldn’t help with you and all your non-standard hookups,” Toby reminded Happy, reaching for a spanner.

“Yeah, but it would help when you need to diagnose problems in Sly or Walter’s implants. You have to keep using that old manual equipment that belongs in a museum.”

“Hey! It’s not broken, and it gets the job done!” Toby defended protectively. “And as for why I don’t have implants, have you seen Walter hack? I don’t want to live in the world where that egomaniac has any opportunity to control any part of this valuable piece of machinery.” At this Toby pointed to his brain proudly.

Happy rolled her eyes. “Do you ever give a serious answer?”

Toby smiled ruefully, “Ask me an easier question.”

Happy stared hard at man before her. “No. You want me to open up, you have to go first.”

Toby fell silent for a few seconds, then nodded and put his tools aside, rolling his stool over so he could look at Happy full-on. “When I was young I had an implant. My father gave it to me on my 8th birthday—during the heart of the cybernetics revolution. It was before legislation had caught up to the advances in implants. My father thought it would be funny to have an 8-year old with a Triple Star implant.”

“What?” Happy snapped, her eyes going wide. “Most people think those readers are just a myth.”

Toby shook his head, “They aren’t. But they are just as bad as you would imagine. At first I loved it. The rush of knowing every piece of information that passed between the different implants in someone’s body—you can’t imagine the power of that knowledge. It was almost like being able to read someone’s mind. Dad took me to Vegas where I cleaned up at table after table until we were kicked out of every reputable casino there. But my father always had a fondness for the less reputable side of things and that’s when things got bad. Really bad.” At this Toby paused and stared at the fist he hadn’t realized that he’d made. A long moment passed before he quickly said, “Things didn’t get much better from there, even when, despite my gambling, I managed to finish school top of my class. When Walter found me I was passed out in a gutter after a long night of making dangerous people angry. He recognized the implant and convinced me to let him remove and destroy it.”

“How did he do that?” Happy asked, engrossed in the story.

“He told me about you,” Toby let out a half-smile. “He said that he had met the most incredible android—with an AI almost completely indistinguishable from human consciousness—and that he wanted me to study her. But he also said that I couldn’t gamble and work for him at the same time. I chose you. And then I met you and saw how incredible you are and promised myself that I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of spending the rest of my days with you.” Toby shrugged. “You’re it for me, Happy. You’re all the cybernetic I need for the rest of my life.”

They locked eyes for a long moment before Happy cleared her throat and gestured down at her leg. “Uhm… bullet hole.”

Toby smiled softly before picking up a small welder and moving back down to her leg. “Sure thing, Happy.”

* * *

 

“Not good,” Happy nearly tripped as she ran over to where Toby lay curled up in the snow. The team had been contracted out by the government to repair an important satellite relay in Antarctica but things had gone awry when a blizzard blew up and falling rocks disconnected the cords that ran between the team members, causing Toby to get separated from the group. Without thinking, Happy had immediately informed the team she would find him while everyone else finished the job. It had taken her a solid 30 minutes in the blinding snow but she finally saw his bright orange coat peaking out from under a mound of snow. However, the temperature was not as kind to Toby’s soft human skin as it was to Happy’s synthetic skin and he was already looking pale and shivering in violent waves. Kneeling over his form, Happy slipped her hand under the neck of his shirt and registered his temperature. 33 degrees Celsius—he was just entering into the final stage of hypothermia according to the basic first aid she had stored in her memory. Very not good.

“Doc,” She began shaking Toby’s shoulders gently. If he she could get him to consciousness maybe it wasn’t as bad as she thought. But Toby wasn’t stirring. “Doc… Toby!” With one rough shake Happy felt a familiar terrified pressure in her chest and throat. She hadn’t felt like this since the day she found Harry… No. She couldn’t think about that. Toby was still alive. She could still save him. Briefly, she considered picking him up and making a run for the team but, after glancing again at his blue lips and gradually declining shivers, she decided that he couldn’t wait that long.

“Okay, Doc, we’ve gotta get you warm,” Happy racked her implanted memories for more information on hypothermia. Biting her lip and hesitating for only half a second, she began to strip off her outer clothing, then Toby’s. “If you were conscious you’d probably be thrilled,” She muttered, pulling Toby close to her chest and starting the overdrive in her core to warm her skin and radiate the heat to the man. “C’mon, Toby. Get warm.” After a few minutes, Happy checked Toby’s temperature again. 33.2 degrees. He wasn’t warming fast enough. Closing her eyes, Happy concentrated on warming her lungs and adjusting the humidity and oxygen content of her exhale. Lifting Toby’s chin, she was startled by how pale and still his features were and for a moment the panic threatened to creep back into her chest. Quickly, though, she snapped herself out of it by pressing her mouth to Toby’s and putting much of her focus on matching her breathing to his so that he was breathing in the warm air she exhaled. After another few minutes, she checked his temperature again and was pleased to register 34 degrees.

“Toby,” Happy tried again to stir him while still keeping her mouth close to his to keep warm air flowing into his body. After a few moments, Toby’s eyes fluttered and Happy couldn’t help grinning in relief.

“Happy?” Toby’s speech was slurred but his eyes were focusing and Happy could feel his heart rate slowing returning to normal.

“Hey, Doc, I thought I was the cold one,” Happy raised one corner of her mouth wryly.

Toby’s laugh was raw and ended with a coughing fit.

“Don’t talk,” Happy pulled Toby closer and tried to ignore the way his eyes widened when he noticed their state of dress. “Just breathe and stay awake. I’ve sent out a signal so Walter should be here soon.”

Toby took a labored breath. “Happy, thank you. I shudder,” at this he tried for a smile, “to think of what would have happened if you hadn’t found me.”

“Shut up,” Happy snapped. “Of course I found you. I’ll always find you.” They both fell silent for a moment as Toby looked adoringly at her and Happy tried not to look away and so keep her breath focused on his face. Then Toby’s eyes began to flutter again and Happy realized that he was going to need some help staying conscious. “Whoa, doc, stay awake. Listen to my voice, okay?” She gently shook his shoulder and he begrudgingly opened his eyes again.

“Mmm...” Toby muttered, his forehead crinkling as he pulled his hands between them and began rubbing them together.

Happy grabbed Toby’s hands and held them between her own, radiating heat to his hands from hers in warm bursts. “Okay, Toby, listen up because I’m going to talk about some stuff.”

At Toby’s puzzled look, Happy trudged on, willing herself to say the words, “It wasn’t that life with Harry was good. He wasn’t a kind man—he was brilliant, yeah, but he was intense and demanding and obsessive… but he was all I had. He was the only one who understood me as well as the only person I really knew for a long time.” Happy felt Toby absentmindedly rub circles on her hands with his fingers and the open look on his face urged her on. “He would throw these… fits and start destroying all the projects that he’d been working on for weeks then sit in the corner of his lab and cry for hours. I may be the most advanced android in existence but I was completely powerless.”

“Happy-” Toby began but Happy quickly placed a finger over his lips.

“I won’t get through this if you talk.”

Toby nodded and shut his mouth.

“When Harry… when it happened, I knew things had been getting worse but I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t know that humans did that… that they would… end themselves like that. I should have known. I should have been able to fix him.” Happy saw Toby again open his mouth in protest and quickly cut him off, “I know what you’re going to say. But I was there. I should have saved him. I cared about him and I failed him… he left me.”

Happy swallowed hard. For some reason doing so seemed to calm her a little. “Toby, I can’t go through that again. I can’t lose you too. I won’t. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you matter to me. I… care about you.”

Toby grinned despite the cold and pain and opened his mouth to say something when Happy suddenly picked up on Walter’s signal nearby. Placing a hand on Happy’s shoulder before she could get up and prepare for their rescue, Toby said, “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. And I want you to know that I’m not Harry. I’ll never leave you, Happy. I promise.”

Happy could only give a small smile. For a fully-functioning robot, her throat sure was feeling tight.

* * *

 

On the plane back to L.A. Toby sat wrapped in a number of thermal blankets with a mug of hot coffee in his hands and Happy nearby, keeping a watchful eye on him.

“Happy, can I ask you a question?” He finally broke the comfortable silence, after swallowing several gulps of his drink.

Happy nodded her head and scooted closer to him on the bench they were on.

“First of all, thank you for opening up. I’m really honored that you trusted me enough to share... and worked so hard to keep me awake,” Toby began.

Happy waited for him to get to the question.

“But just about any subject would have occupied my mind enough to keep me from falling unconscious again. Why did you choose to let me in?”

Happy looked over at Toby and carefully considered her answer before saying, “Someone once told me I may be more than just a robot and that opening up and sharing my feelings was a good first step to really living. I don’t really know if that’s possible for me… but I want to try.” With a smile she continued, “Plus, I told you that you had to go first. You did, it was my turn.”

“That it was,” Toby replied with a twinkle in his eye. “Speaking of taking turns… I think I remember you initiating some pretty fancy lip to lip action back there...”

“Shut up,” Happy muttered and turned away to hide her betraying smile.

* * *

 

Toby groaned and leaned most of his weight on Happy as she walked him into the garage.

“Oh, stop your moaning, you big baby. He only punched you,” Happy muttered, depositing Toby on the couch and stepping over to the kitchen to get an ice pack.

“He was very strong!” Toby called after her and then, as he accepted the blue gel pack from her and placed it beside his head, he added, “And a complete idiot.”

“What did he say to you anyway?” Happy asked, sitting next to Toby on the couch and looking at him quizzically. “I only came when I heard you yelp.”

Toby’s eyes narrowed as he remembered, “He called you a mindless robot and suggested that I sell you to a junkyard for scrap metal.”

Happy sighed and rolled her eyes, “Toby, I get stuff like that all the time. There’s no getting around the fact that I _am_ a robot.”

Toby’s eyes flashed and he turned to Happy with a fierce look on his face that startled her, “Don’t you say that. You are SO much more than a robot. You think independently, you come up with new ideas, you feel, you enjoy things. You are smart, strong, and more human than half the people I know. You, Happy, are the single most fascinating and wonderful anomaly in the whole world—don’t ever think you’re just a robot.”

A moment of silence stretched between them as Happy digested what Toby had just spat her way. Her bottom lip went between her teeth for a split second before she leaned forward, grabbing Toby’s shirt, and pulled him forward for a passionate kiss. At first his lips were still with surprise but quickly he recovered and, dropping the ice pack, put his hands on either side of her face to deepen the kiss. A few seconds passed before, almost abruptly, Happy pulled back and took in Toby’s dazed and somewhat stunned face.

“Although I don’t need it, it was… cool how you stood up for me. I’m glad you think I’m more than a robot.”

Toby opened his mouth to talk but Happy quickly placed a finger on his lips.

“Don’t talk. Don’t ruin it. Ice your face.” At this Happy quickly stood up and retreated to her corner of the garage leaving Toby alone on the couch.

Grinning slightly to himself, Toby picked up the fallen ice pack and put it back on his face. With a sigh of contentment he licked his lips, “Yep, definitely more than a robot.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to all and especially to Leah/southernbookgirl! I'm super happy to participate for the first time in the Scorpion Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Many thanks to everyone who set it up!


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